Stanton said that playing for the hometown team was "the original dream, when you're a kid." As a major leaguer, he remains under the control of the Miami Marlins through the 2016 season, although the Marlins could trade him for a huge return if they were convinced he would not sign an extension to stay in Miami.

Power is increasingly scarce in the major leagues, particularly from such a young player, and virtually every team that could afford to pay him would line up to trade for him.

The recent story of Chicago's Jackie Robinson West Little League team, their U.S. title taken away because some of their players lived outside the district they represented, struck a nerve with Phil Hart.

The 24 trades made Monday that moved 43 players in the hours before the NHL trading deadline were more strategic than splashy, nothing that justified the hype that has grown around this annual day of reckoning and nothing that will immediately transform a franchise.